How to navigate a mid-life career crisis

By Jessica Rapana| 2 years ago

I recently met a woman in her 50's who had decided it was time for a change.

She'd been a journalist for some 20-odd years and by all accounts had risen to the top of her field as a fabulously successful, reasonably well-paid columnist and features writer at one of the country's biggest media outlets.

But, she wanted to try something different, she told me. And before she knew it, she was sitting in the same law lecture theatre as her 22-year-old daughter.

This scenario, let's call it a 'mid-life career crisis', is actually pretty common. Think about it: you're climbing the career ladder, so busy putting one leg up after the other and then suddenly you realise it's been leaning against the wrong damn wall this whole time.

Take Julia Child. Before she was wooing the world with her French-inspired cooking, she was a spy. She launched her first cookbook when she turned 50.

And she’s not the only high-profile name to make the switch. Ellen DeGeneres was a bartender, a paralegal and a waitress at T.G.I. Fridays before she was Ellen.

Australians are hopping between jobs more than ever and, according to a recent study, we're now likely to have up to five different careers before we retire.

It's hardly surprising given most of us select our career paths when we're still at high school which, as it turns out, is sometimes based on little more than a whim.

A recent study shows almost 40 percent of millennials admitted to choosing their career paths based on a TV show, aspiring to be the next Carrie Bradshaw or Rachel Zane.

So if you find yourself increasingly dreading Monday mornings, it might be time to consider a change.

“Start by taking a break,” Green tells 9Honey. “I don’t mean a wild holiday around Europe but some serious consideration time where you pause to reflect on where you’re at. A morning in a café, a conversation with friends or a quiet weekend with a blank notebook.”

“You might start by asking yourself is it the role you’re in that’s frustrating you or are you really on the entirely wrong path?”

But it's also important, she tells me, to determine the cause of your discontent before making a big decision. Is it the job or the career making you unhappy?

If it’s the job, you might find yourself telling people you “like what you do" but not your manager or complaining about the office culture, Green says. This might be as simple as changing your job or employer.

But Green adds the need for a change in career path often has much deeper problems. In this case, you might find yourself frustrated with those things but there’s other bigger issues going on too. You’re wondering why you’re in this industry and suddenly the idea of turning your back on the very nature of your job might seem appealing.

In this case, it might be time for a career change.

If you reach this point, you’re halfway there. Because, as Green explains, you can’t have the "push" without the "pull".

“If you’re feeling ‘pushed’ you have that feeling telling you to leap out of this job or career because it’s making your unhappy and frustrated,” she says. “You’re a frog looking to jump from that pot of water heating up, but where do you want to land? That’s the ‘pull’ factor.”

She says for both practical and emotional reasons, it’s important to also have a ‘pull’ force working on you, directing you towards something positive.

You should also be asking yourself the tough questions including how you’re going to support yourself after making the leap, both financially and mentally.

Do a budget

“Figure out what you need to cover your basics and review your savings. If you aren’t moving straight into a new role, do you have the money for the time out of work, to work at a lower rate or to work part time as you figure out what next?”

Work out your support network

“Assemble your career change cheer squad. Ask a friend who knows you well to be your cheerleader. Ideally, this is someone who will pause and chat about your career change ups and downs and celebrate new your discoveries.

“Draw on the energy and advice of your personal and professional networks to stay sane, savvy and sanguine in challenging times. Support from the people who know and believe in you can buoy you up and keep you on track.

“Alternatively, find a coach whose energy and experience align to your goals. A skilful career coach will prompt you to do some disciplined, structured work to firm up and pursue your path to positive change.”

Once you’re ready to take the plunge, Green recommends following two steps.

Get curious

There might be thousands of possible roles sitting on jobseeker sites – but hold on a second. Green says you should probably avoid them at first because it can be overwhelming and confusing to wonder about specific roles.

Start by being "curious instead". Spend two weeks purposefully noting what catches your attention, she says.

Pay attention to the articles you love to read, the conversations engaging you and where you’re spending your time on the weekends.

“We forget that how we spend our time and what we are drawn to is uniquely us and provides clues on career topics such as psychology, writing, sustainability, politics or cooking,” Green explains.

She suggests making a list and seeing what themes and interest areas come through for you.

Get moving

Now it’s time to take those interest areas and get out from behind that desk.

“Of course, you’ll explore your interest areas online and learn what careers they involve but don’t get dragged down the rabbit hole of the internet, you might drown in the endless information. Instead get moving," Green tells me.

“At this stage find people not jobs,” she says. “Talk to real people in a range of roles that connect with your fields of interest. Most people are delighted to help and enjoy talking about themselves! Try LinkedIn as a great source of people with interesting careers.

“Arrange to visit their workspace and pick their brains about what they do. Ask about their roles and how they got there. Get their take on the beautiful and the beastly aspects of their work.

“Finally, secure new leads by asking them ‘Who else should I speak to?’

“Accept that some of these chats will be dead ends – you might walk away with little info or realising you don’t want to work in that area.

“But during or after your conversation, note the things that resonated with you and anything that jarred. This can tell you a lot about where you want to go, and places you want to avoid.”

Jo Green is a career change coach based in Sydney, Australia. Visit her website here.